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Santa Clarita
Santa Clarita, also known as Santa Catalina or Avalon, is a small “resort” settlement in the Channel Islands of California southwest of the Boneyard. Nominally part of the New California Republic, Santa Clarita’s most prominent feature is the Catalina Casino, owned by the wealthy brahmin baron Wade Jefferson. Wade Jefferson owns much of the settlement as well, and as a proud NCR nationalist, he makes sure that Santa Clarita acts as bulwark against the hostile elements still present in the Channel Islands. However, this air of respectability hides a seedy underworld with smugglers, prostitution, and gambling with assorted cartel activity. History Before the War Prior to the modern era, the island was inhabited by people of the Tongva tribe. The Tongva called the island Pimu or Pimugna and referred to themselves as the Pimugnans or Pimuvit. The Pimugnans were renowned for their mining, working and trade of soapstone which was found in great quantities and varieties on the island. This material was in great demand to make stone vessels for cooking and was traded along the California coast. By the 1830s, the entire island's native population had either died off, or had been relocated to the mainland to work in the missions or as ranch hands for the many private land owners. The first owner to try to develop Avalon Bay into a resort destination was George Shatto, a real estate speculator from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Shatto purchased the island for $200,000 from the estate of James Lick at the height of a real estate boom in Southern California in 1887. Shatto's sister-in-law Etta Whitney came up with the permanent name of Avalon in reference from a poem by Lord Tennyson called "Idylls of the King" about the legend of King Arthur (which features an island of the same name). Resorts were first established on Santa Catalina Island in the 1890s and flourished for centuries afterwards with the Catalina Casino being added in 1929. The town of Avalon would however meet difficulties in the 21st century when the island was beset by decades of wildfires right up to the Great War. The Great War came to Santa Catalina Island with a flash as Los Angeles across the water was vaporized. Most Avalon’s residents either died or ghoulified in the initial blast, and those who did survive sought shelter elsewhere as their friends died or went made around them. Lost to Time For almost two hundred years after the Great War, the ruins of Avalon lay abandoned beyond the occasional squatter from the mainland. The Catalina Casino became a ghoul nest over time and so visitors learned to avoid it. Santa Catalina was remarked upon as hauntingly beautiful and visitors often commented on feeling a pang of ‘Old World Blues’ after beholding the ruins. Reclamation The island would finally be reclaimed by humanity in 2276 after years of planning, with Wade Jefferson leading a team of enforcers and mercenaries to take over the island from its ghoul inhabitants. Because of their mutated status, Jefferson felt no hard feelings from killing them, as that was just putting them out of their misery. The battle between Jefferson’s team and the ghouls lasted for a full day with the team clearing the casino out specifically room for room. After the ghouls were killed, the real Reclamation of Avalon began. Catalina Casino was cleaned up, and an entirely new power grid was installed for the island. The town, rebranded as Santa Clarita, was reopened as free port in 2277 with the Catalina Casino’s gambling being the main attraction. The town has grown since then, with the buildings outside the casino growing considerably to service guests. That led to the Cinderella Cartel’s arrival in 2278 which Jefferson initially resisted but later relented to, as the local capo promised no trouble as long as neither party interfered with one another with the further promise not to hurt the NCR. Santa Clarita continues to chug on today, known throughout the Boneyard as the ‘Pacific Vegas’. Government Effectively an open port, the highest law in Santa Clarita are Wade Jefferson and his enforcers. They do a fairly good job keeping things calm, even with the cartel presence. The island has been granted incorporated territory status by NCR, but the government has been hesitant to move into the island due to the volatility of the area overall and the relatively good job Jefferson has done stabilizing the area so far. Economy Santa Clarita is important due to the Boneyard coastal fisher fleet, but most of the money on the island is made through the gambling at the Catalina Casino and associated businesses. Wade Jefferson effectively owns the settlement, but he has reluctant Alliance with the local cartel to keep things running smoothly. Jefferson loathes the cartel, as he does most Mexicans, but he nonetheless puts up with them. The local capo gets his cut, and everyone on Santa Clarita is happy. Culture Santa Clarita has an interesting syncretic culture with influences from New Californians, Mexicans, and the local Channel Islanders. The small permanent population are mostly either NCR transplants under the hire of Wade Jefferson or poor Channel Islanders also under the hire of Wade Jefferson. Meanwhile, visitors and semi-regular residents are a more diverse bunch. Most visitors to Santa Clarita are from NCR but a growing minority are from Mexico, mostly Tijuana or Ensenada. These wealthy visitors usually have cartel connections and in recent years, the Cinderella Cartel has sunken its claws into Santa Clarita, setting up cheap chem dens and brothels in the main settlement to service visitors. This has led to a largely Mexican underclass of semi-permanent residents also living in the settlement, to Wade Jefferson’s chagrin. Nevertheless, they bring in more money and as long as everyone gets their money, Jefferson is happy. Food, music, and entertainment in Santa Clarita are mixed with influences from all around. Enchiladas are served in Catalina Casino alongside iguana-on-a-stick while Western music plays for the many excited gamblers. Jefferson likes to play up the multi-cultural elements to cast a wide net for customers, regardless of his own personal feelings. Points of Interest Catalina Casino The Catalina Casino is located off the coast of The Boneyard in New California. It is the most visible landmark in Avalon Bay and when approaching the island from the mainland. The large building contains a movie theater, ballroom, and formerly an island art and history museum. Not used for gambling before the Great War, the Catalina Casino serves its function as a gambling establishment today as its name suggests. The former ballroom is where much of the gambling takes place while other parts of the building are mostly devoted to rented rooms for guests. Wade Jefferson owns the Catalina Casino and lives there year-round, visiting the mainline only to conduct business and to have fun that can’t be had on the island. Notable Individuals Eduardo Morales Originally a street rat from Ensenada, Eduardo Morales has come a long way to becoming a capo for the Cinderella Cartel in the California Channel Islands. Growing up under the tutelage of the last jefe as one of his three adopted sons, Eduardo was the unremarkable one. Not as smart as Sebastiano or as artistic as Pedro, Eduardo simply quietly did as told, however bloody. When his adopted father died and Sebastiano took over, Eduardo was sent to Santa Clarita to replace the previous capo there who had been killed by pirates. Since his arrival, Eduardo has made himself comfortable and also become a regular part of the local community, marrying a Californian wife and starting a family of his own. He often frequents the Catalina Casino when no running his various cartel-affiliated businesses and has a tense but viable working relationship with Elisha Horowitz, who acts as a go-between for Eduardo and Wade Jefferson. Eduardo prefers the status quo to trying to “take over” as Jefferson thinks, not wanting to jeopardize his now comfortable life away from the bloody knives of fellow cartel members out for his position. Elisha Horowitz Elisha Horowitz is the long-time assistant and a weary friend to Wade Jefferson. Born in the Boneyard to Jewish shopkeepers, Elisha managed to get himself educated and became an accountant. Struggling in his early twenties to make ends meet, it was them that he first met Wade Jefferson. Jefferson was impressed by Elisha’s diligence and amused by his acerbic wit and dour attitude, and he asked if Elisha would like assist in his brahmin ranching business as an administrator. Elisha jumped at the opportunity, and ever since, he has not left Jefferson’s side. Elisha’s wife Mary often jokes that Jefferson is Elisha’s “other family”, as he spends so much time with the brahmin baron. Elisha’s job as Jefferson’s assistant largely consists of managing the man’s wealth and discouraging his more destructive or costly impulses. Likewise, Jefferson treats Elisha to the high-roller lifestyle and encourages the timid man to come out of his shell a bit. Though Jefferson can be insensitive and Elisha can be vicious in his criticisms, the two have grown to respect one another and Jefferson regards Elisha more as a friend than a employee. Elisha is respected by most people on Santa Clarita for keeping the Catalina Casino running. He is in charge of running the casino even when Jefferson is away, but Elisha usually goes with the boss of most of his trips unless told not to. Wade Jefferson The outrageous and outspoken “cowboy” brahmin baron, Wade Jefferson is really more of a playboy than a cowboy, however he may portray himself. A proud WASP born in Maxson, Jefferson was made rich by the brahmin boom that enriched so many other brahmin barons in NCR as well as some careful investments, and he has flaunted his wealth ever since. He has a love-hate relationship with politics and the press, and his statements relating to his stalwart support for President Kimball, his love of capitalism, and his opinions on foreigners, most typically Mexicans, are often featured in NCR newspapers and tabloids. His ownership of Catalina Casino in the last decade has revitalized the area, but many locals have mixed feeling about ‘Mister Jefferson’. Some fear his power while others resent his chauvinism and naked display of wealth. Category:Places Category:Communities Category:New California Republic